The 1900s were hoped to be "The Christian Century." A Christian magazine in Des Moines believed this so strongly that, in 1900, the editor proposed a name change from The Christian Oracle (a dodgy name in the first place) to Christian Century.
His sociological idea was that "genuine Christian faith could live in mutual harmony with the modern developments in science, technology, immigration, communication and culture already under way."[1.] The theological idea was that the church would by its own virtue bring in a kingdom of peace, i.e. the millennium (a false doctrine, but not the topic of this post).
For a couple decades, this idea seemed to some like a real possibility. However, two World Wars in one generation succeeded in snuffing out all talk of a Christian century thereafter. WWII serves as a marker by which we are able to see a stark contrast between the first and second halves of the 20th century.
Practical and personal holiness is simply the biblical mandate that we be woke to God's righteousness
In the second half of the 1900s, we see the emergence of postmodernism, the worldview that nothing is anything and there is no meaning to everything, and there most certainly is no absolute truth. Yet God declares that his word is true from the beginning, that he himself is truth, and that the truth shall make us free (Psalm 119:160; John 14:6; John 8:32).
We also see a barrage of other anti-truth movements, ranging everywhere from free love to resurging racism. In response to these movements, those who would have been strong proponents of a Christian Century began to act in a manner quite opposite. Instead of following the examples of Jesus who ate with publicans and sinners, or Paul who was a servant to all to gain the more, Christians around this time began to withdraw themselves from the world in an extreme and flesh-powered version of holiness.
Practical and personal holiness is simply the biblical mandate that we be woke to God's righteousness (Rom 6:19; Eph 4:24) and set ourselves apart for his Eternal Purpose by conforming to his character (Heb 12:10; Rom 6:22).
But among Independent Baptists in the last quarter of the 20th Century, holiness came to be identified strictly with the idea of separation. Not only were they solely concerned with separation, they also were only separate from the world and not unto the gospel of God (Rom 1:1).
These Christians were often distant from God, but they were at least separated threefold: first, from the world; second, from any believer who was not separated from the world; and third, separated from a believer who was also separated, but not in the same way they were. This mostly manifested in a superficial and legalistic shunning of various movies, music, and methods.
But all legalism ever leads to is a manifestation of the works of the flesh, including such actions as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (Galatians 5:19-21) and a whole array of other sins—things these believers were carnally trying to avoid.
Most recently, Evangelicaldom suffered a spate high-profile male pastors and teachers falling afoul of the #metoo movement. The February 15, 2019 edition of Christianity Today magazine notes,
“When a prominent pastor is forced out of the pulpit in the midst of scandal, scrutiny, or wrongdoing, the body of Christ winces. 'Not another one.' As more preachers gain national (and global) followings through books, podcasts, and other resources, the fallout around disgraced leaders extends across the church at large.”[2.]
As they used to say, these individuals had enough steam to blow the whistle, but not enough to pull the train.
The problem is that these Christians (and others who wear badges of extreme separation from the world) failed in a continuing pursuit of true holiness. Remember: to be holy is to be woke to God’s righteousness and set apart for his purpose. So let’s get practical.
For Christ to present us holy, unblameable, unreproveable at the Judgement Seat, we must continue in the faith
How can I, conscious of my flesh’s corruption and complete unworthiness, approach a God of infinite purity? God gives his own answer: through his all-sufficient provision to meet my need. I gain access to a thrice holy God through the blood of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of his Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament, anything that touched a holy object became holy. So should we! But while holiness in the old dispensation was instantaneous, it is progressive in this life for the Christian. The only two holy things on the planet at this moment are the Holy Bible and Holy Spirit. So the more we give ourselves to God's word, responding to the movements of God's Spirit, the more we perfect our holiness.
Col 1:21-23a And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel,
For Christ to present us holy, unblameable, unreproveable at the Judgement Seat, we must continue in the faith; that is, continue in the Spirit and the word. After all, “we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith,” and we trusted in Christ “after that [we] heard the word of truth, the gospel of [our] salvation” (Galatians 5:5; Ephesians 1:13).
Knowing that we must constantly pursue true relationship with the Holy Spirit and the word of God, here are a couple of keys the Bible supplies to open the door to practical holiness.
1. Pursue a sprinkled and strengthened conscience
No person has true spirituality without the tandem-drive of biblical authority and an ungrieved Holy Ghost.
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
Human conscience is mentioned 32 times in the Bible, each in the New Testament. It is more reliable a barometer of holiness than we tend to give it credit for, because to completely silence it takes a painful searing and a sin bath which kills faith (1 Tim 4:2; Titus 1:15).
Conscience is the internal psychological system that allows the body of Christ to function as a kingdom of individual believer-priests before God. All human authority is relative to the absolute authority of God and his word. The Holy Spirit takes the authority of God, mediated through his word, and applies it through your conscience. In this way, each Christian is individually accountable before God at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
This is the importance of taking time at the Lord's Supper to reflect. Your baptism confirmed something to the congregation, whereas this ordinance serves to confirm things to our conscience (2 Cor 13:5).
But believe it or not, the Holy Ghost responds to the experience of your environment and upbringing with such empathy, in such sensitive and tender ways, that some things are wrong for you while they are okay for someone else (1 Cor 8:7-12; 10:25-29).
This is where the legalistic Christian stumbles. The Bible is clear that we are not to condemn another Christian for how they apply the Bible for themselves in areas that are unclear (Rom 14:3-13; 1 Cor 4:5; 11:13). God leaves a few (not many) gray areas in the Bible, because some things are not black and white! And because, for each of us, holiness is progressive.
Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, "I spend half my time telling Christians to study doctrine and the other half telling them doctrine is not enough."[3.] Indeed. No person has true spirituality without the tandem-drive of biblical authority and an ungrieved Holy Ghost.
Commenting on Song of Solomon, G. Campbell Morgan points out, "[God] is satisfied in me; not in me as I now am, but in that which He will make me, in that which I shall be, when His work is perfected in me.” So secondly,
2. Acknowledge God in each circumstance and every situation
..don’t be enslaved to separation from the world while forsaking separation unto God.
Conscience is what makes us conscious of God's will, his way, and the spiritual liberty we have to walk in it. That’s sanctification, or holiness. Oswald Chambers writes,
"Sanctification means we are made the children of God, and the natural life of a child is obedience—until he wishes to be disobedient, then instantly there is the intuitive jar. In the spiritual domain the intuitive jar is the monition of the Spirit of God. When He gives the check, we have to stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind in order to make out what God’s will is."[4.]
I believe what Chambers refers to as "the intuitive jar" is best described biblically as the conscience. For he goes on to say, "We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the culture of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. [So] beware of making a fetish of consistency to your convictions instead of being devoted to God."[4.] In other words, don’t be enslaved to separation from the world while forsaking separation unto God.
Pro 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
This spiritual development takes place in your conscience as you pray without ceasing, watch unto prayer, mind the Spirit, walk circumspectly, and walk in Christ (Romans 8). This is the reason true spirituality can never successfully be counterfeited, and why all true discipleship is impartation of spiritual life, not just communication of scriptural knowledge.
2 Cor 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
We are all Naaman. We all need to continue to dip seven times in God's promises, proceeding to perfect our holiness of flesh to match the impeccable holiness of Spirit we have in the Lord Jesus (1 John 3:6; 5:18).
We will never see a “Christian Century” (though we will see a Christ-ian Millennium), yet we also cannot afford to remove ourselves from a wicked world an fail to profess the gospel to them. Instead:
Hebrews 10:22-23 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
To hear more about biblical holiness, check out this episode of the Postscript with Pastor Alan Shelby.
Alan Shelby is the senior pastor of Harvest Baptist Church in Blue Springs, MO and dean of the Living Faith Bible Institute.
1. Paul Duane Matheny, Contextual Theology: The Drama of Our Times (Cambridge: James Clarke & Co, 2012), 2.
2. Kate Shellnutt, “Should We Keep Studying a Fired Pastor’s Work?,” ChristianityToday.Com, accessed April 9, 2019, https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/february-web-only/keep-studying-fired-pastors-james-macdonald-lifeway.html.
3. Iain Hamish Murray, David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The First Forty Years, 1899-1939 (Edinburgh ; Carlisle, Pa: Banner of Truth Trust, 1982).
4. Oswald Chambers, “Discovering Divine Designs | My Utmost For His Highest,” 1935, accessed April 9, 2019, https://utmost.org/classic/discovering-divine-designs-classic/.